A Visit to the Alterac Mountains

"Albert, why aren't you cold either?" Amid the swirling snow, Roderick and Albert trudged along the roads of the Alterac Mountains with ten Dwarf warriors led by Thalmar Stormpike.

"A mage's little trick: Environmental Endurance. It lets mages survive in extremely harsh conditions, whether scorching heat or bitter cold." Albert still wore his mage robes, and the climate did nothing to diminish his composure.

"Mages sure have it easy. It'd be great if Dwarves could become mages too. Achoo!" Thalmar, wrapped exceptionally tightly in bear pelts, sneezed loudly.

Roderick was not dressed as extravagantly as Thalmar in his full set of bear pelts. He had simply put on a black velvet cloak, which made him especially conspicuous in the white world of ice and snow.

The Stormpike Clan's Alterac Mountains camp was not very far from Southshore in a straight line, but the rugged, slippery mountain roads severely hindered their progress.

After trekking through the blizzard for several days and spending a night at a Dwarf outpost, they finally reached the Stormpike camp halfway up the Alterac Mountains.

The camp entrance was heavily guarded. Watchtowers, barricades, and the Dwarves' distinctive bunkers formed an impregnable defensive line. Even in such dreadful weather, Stormpike soldiers continued to patrol without pause.

Led by a guard, Roderick's group entered the valley. A Dwarf officer whose features somewhat resembled Thalmar's shouted in the Dwarves' distinctive booming voice, "Are you Knight Roderick? Welcome, friends from Southshore."

"Norgal, did the front lines defeat the Frostwolf Orcs? Why have you returned to the Dun Baldar camp as well?" Thalmar Stormpike asked in surprise beside Roderick.

"In weather like this, even those Orc soldiers can't launch an attack through the blizzard. There won't be any major battles for a while, so I don't need to remain at the Icewing